The first 100 days of church planting get the attention. The next 100 days determine sustainability.

In this episode, Dr. Skinner speaks directly to pastors and church planters who launched strong and now find themselves in the trenches. As adrenaline fades and reality sets in, leaders face fatigue, vision drift, relational strain, and hidden fragility.

This conversation reframes the early season of church planting, not as arrival, but as orientation. It explores what truly sustains a church after momentum slows and why faithfulness, presence, and formation matter more than speed and scale.

Key Themes & Takeaways

• Why most church plants struggle after the first 100 days, not during them

• The danger of mistaking momentum for maturity

• How adrenaline masks fragility in early ministry

• Why mission sustains when vision alone cannot

• The difference between gathering crowds and forming community

• How emotional safety shapes discipleship and trust

• Why proximity matters more than strategy in a new context

• The importance of leadership depth and intentional equipping

• What vision drift really reveals about trust and formation

• Why the next season is not failure, but formation

Notable Insights

• “The first 100 days don’t prove sustainability. They reveal potential.”

• “Attendance can rise while depth stays shallow.”

• “You cannot program belonging. You have to model it.”

• “Trust forms through repetition, not charisma.”

• “Grace creates the space where truth can grow.”

Scripture Referenced

• John 1:14 – “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

Grace before truth. Presence before proclamation.

Referenced Voices & Stories

• Kevin Myers – Founder of 12Stone Church

• DCPI (Dynamic Church Planting International)

• Exponential Church Planting Network

• Insights on community formation and leadership development

Who This Episode Is For

• Church planters beyond launch Sunday

• Pastors navigating post-launch fatigue

• Leaders facing vision drift or emotional exhaustion

• District leaders and coaches supporting planters

• Anyone asking, “What comes after the adrenaline?”

The first 100 days of church planting get the attention. The next 100 days determine sustainability.

In this episode, Dr. Skinner speaks directly to pastors and church planters who launched strong and now find themselves in the trenches. As adrenaline fades and reality sets in, leaders face fatigue, vision drift, relational strain, and hidden fragility.

This conversation reframes the early season of church planting, not as arrival, but as orientation. It explores what truly sustains a church after momentum slows and why faithfulness, presence, and formation matter more than speed and scale.

Key Themes & Takeaways

• Why most church plants struggle after the first 100 days, not during them

• The danger of mistaking momentum for maturity

• How adrenaline masks fragility in early ministry

• Why mission sustains when vision alone cannot

• The difference between gathering crowds and forming community

• How emotional safety shapes discipleship and trust

• Why proximity matters more than strategy in a new context

• The importance of leadership depth and intentional equipping

• What vision drift really reveals about trust and formation

• Why the next season is not failure, but formation

Notable Insights

• “The first 100 days don’t prove sustainability. They reveal potential.”

• “Attendance can rise while depth stays shallow.”

• “You cannot program belonging. You have to model it.”

• “Trust forms through repetition, not charisma.”

• “Grace creates the space where truth can grow.”

Scripture Referenced

• John 1:14 – “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

Grace before truth. Presence before proclamation.

Referenced Voices & Stories

• Kevin Myers – Founder of 12Stone Church

• DCPI (Dynamic Church Planting International)

• Exponential Church Planting Network

• Insights on community formation and leadership development

Who This Episode Is For

• Church planters beyond launch Sunday

• Pastors navigating post-launch fatigue

• Leaders facing vision drift or emotional exhaustion

• District leaders and coaches supporting planters

• Anyone asking, “What comes after the adrenaline?”

Reflection Question

Where are you right now?

Are you still running on adrenaline, or learning how to abide?

Where are you right now?

Are you still running on adrenaline, or learning how to abide? During this time, while attendance may surge, the depth of community engagement can remain disappointingly superficial. Authentic community is birthed through shared vulnerability, as opposed to merely a compelling vision, and trust is cultivated through consistent interactions rather than charismatic leadership. Additionally, we must acknowledge that perceived failures present valuable opportunities for growth, and it is essential to approach public decisions with a measured pace to foster trust among congregants. Ultimately, our identity must remain anchored in Christ, transcending the metrics of success or failure that often preoccupy church planters.

Summary

In this episode of Echoes Through Eternity, Dr. Jeffrey D. Skinner discusses the challenges and realities of church planting, particularly focusing on the what follows critical first hundred days. He emphasizes the importance of understanding that the initial excitement of launching a church is often followed by significant challenges, including maintaining community, developing leadership, and navigating emotional fatigue. Dr. Skinner shares insights on building trust, the necessity of vulnerability in leadership, and the importance of anchoring one's identity in Christ rather than in measurable outcomes. He encourages church planters to slow down decision-making processes and to focus on deepening relationships within their communities.

Takeaways

Most church plants struggle in the next hundred days.

The first hundred days are about orientation, not the finish line.

Attendance can rise while depth stays shallow.

Community forms through shared vulnerability, not just vision.

Trust forms through repetition, not charisma.

Failure gives us an opportunity to improve.

Slow down public decisions to build trust.

Anchor identity in Christ, not outcomes.

Delay is not failure; faithfulness is key.

Stay rooted, present, and faithful in ministry.

Navigating the Challenges of Church Planting

The Reality Beyond the First Hundred Days.

Sound Bites

"People commit because they feel safe."

"Slow down public decisions."

"Delay is not failure."

Takeaways:

1. The initial one hundred days of a church plant signify an orientation phase rather than a definitive conclusion to the process.
2. It is a common observation that while attendance may increase, the depth of relationships within the community often remains superficial.
3. Trust within a ministry context is cultivated through consistent, repeated interactions rather than charismatic leadership alone.
4. Shared vulnerability among community members is crucial for the formation of authentic relationships, surpassing mere shared vision.

The discourse surrounding church planting frequently underscores the significant challenges encountered in the initial phase of establishment. The first hundred days are often misconstrued as an endpoint; however, they serve primarily as a period of orientation. During this time, energy and excitement may be palpable, yet it is essential to recognize that such enthusiasm does not inherently translate to depth in community relationships. The episode elucidates the reality that many church plants experience a surge in attendance while failing to cultivate substantive connections among congregants. This superficial growth can often lead to disillusionment as the novelty fades. Furthermore, the cultivation of community hinges on shared vulnerability rather than mere alignment with a vision. Trust, as articulated, is established through consistent, repeated engagement rather than charismatic leadership alone. The discussion also addresses the necessity of acknowledging failure as a precursor to growth, emphasizing that delays in decision-making should not be perceived as failures but rather as opportunities to deepen trust and faithfulness in ministry. Ultimately, the focus is on remaining anchored in Christ, rather than being swayed by measurable outcomes, and understanding that true ministry persists through patience and consistent presence, even amid challenges.

Links referenced in this episode:

1. dcpi
2. exponential
3. 12stone
4. johnmaxwell

Companies mentioned in this episode:

1. Dynamic Church Planting International
2. 12 Stone Church

Mentioned in this episode:

Peace in that Finds You in the Middle of Chaos

Cozyearth.com. Use Code Echo for a 40% Discount Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner shares his experience with Cozy Earth's products, highlighting their impact on his family's comfort since moving to Nashville. He discusses the benefits of their bamboo-based bedding and blankets, emphasizing their softness, temperature regulation, and luxurious feel. The episode also includes a special discount offer for listeners. Keywords Cozy Earth, bamboo bedding, temperature regulation, luxury comfort, Nashville, family warmth, discount offer, Christmas gift, home sanctuary, podcast partnership

Peace in that Finds You in the Middle of Chaos

Cozyearth.com. Use Code Echo for a 40% Discount Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner shares his experience with Cozy Earth's products, highlighting their impact on his family's comfort since moving to Nashville. He discusses the benefits of their bamboo-based bedding and blankets, emphasizing their softness, temperature regulation, and luxurious feel. The episode also includes a special discount offer for listeners. Keywords Cozy Earth, bamboo bedding, temperature regulation, luxury comfort, Nashville, family warmth, discount offer, Christmas gift, home sanctuary, podcast partnership

Peace in that Finds You in the Middle of Chaos

Cozyearth.com. Use Code Echo for a 40% Discount Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner shares his experience with Cozy Earth's products, highlighting their impact on his family's comfort since moving to Nashville. He discusses the benefits of their bamboo-based bedding and blankets, emphasizing their softness, temperature regulation, and luxurious feel. The episode also includes a special discount offer for listeners. Keywords Cozy Earth, bamboo bedding, temperature regulation, luxury comfort, Nashville, family warmth, discount offer, Christmas gift, home sanctuary, podcast partnership

There's a false finish line involved in the church.

That first hundred days feels like a rival.

You launch, people show up, the energy is high and stories are flowing.

People are making everything is new.

And when everything is new and shiny, it's like the toys on Christmas morning.

The kids tear into the gifts, they start playing with them, but it doesn't take long for the shiny to wear off and boredom to set in.

And so this is the same thing with church planting and a new church is once you get into the trenches, once you begin to shape those relationships and form the relationships with each other, then the hard part begins.

We begin to get on each other's nerves.

There's high stress involved in sustaining the growth.

There's pressure on the planter, the planter's family, there's stress, there's internal tension that's often unspoken within the the launch team.

There with the core team, where the vision gets real.

Now it's good to have a strong vision, but mission is going to sustain you.

And mission is what controls where you go after that.

First hundred days is what determines your direction.

And so quietly, you start to believe in this first hundred days that this pace is normal.

But it isn't.

Those early days are fueled by adrenaline, novelty and hope.

All are gifts from God, none meant to last forever.

I've watched rooms fill fast while relationships stay thin.

But here's the truth that many planters discover too late.

Attendance can rise while depth stays shallow.

Momentum can mask fragility across church planting networks like DCPI and exponential.

There's a clear pattern.

Many plants experience a dip between months four and nine.

Marcus Aurelius said, what we do in life echoes through eternity.

What is your life echoing through eternity?

Welcome to Echoes Through Eternity with Dr. Jeffrey Skinner.

Our mission is to inspire and engage and encourage leaders from across the globe to plant missional churches and be servant leaders.

So join us and hear the stories of servant leaders reverberating lives as God echoes them through eternity.

Brought to you by Missional Church Planting and Leadership development in Dynamic Church Planting International.

Welcome in to Echoes Through Eternity.

I AM your host, Dr. Jeffrey D. Skinner.

What has got echoing through your life today?

Well, as we begin the new year, I wanted to start where many of you told me that you live.

Last year, the most listened to episode on this podcast was the first hundred days of Church Planting.

I had more comments, more feedback on that than any other episode.

That's not to say the other episodes were not good.

It's not to say they were not enjoyed.

But this was the one that told me that this is where you guys are living.

This is what you're hungry for.

One, what to expect in the first hundred days, and two, how do you navigate that?

What are you, not only what do you expect, but.

But how do you do it?

What is it going to look like?

How do you shape people?

And how do you prepare for that first hundred days?

And so that tells me something.

Pastors and planters aren't looking for excitement.

You're looking for truth.

And here's the truth that we don't say enough.

Most church plants don't struggle in the first hundred days.

They struggle in the next hundred.

The first hundred days matter, but they are not the finish line.

Most church planters launch strong.

It's in the trenches that they struggle.

The first hundred days are orientation.

And so today I want to talk about what comes next, what surprises you, what wears you down, what actually sustains a church plant.

After the adrenaline fades, there's a false finish line involved in the church.

That first hundred days feels like arrival.

You launch, people show up, the energy is high and stories are flowing.

People are making everything is new.

And when everything is new and shiny, it's like the toys on Christmas morning.

The kids tear into the gifts, they start playing with them.

But it doesn't take long for the shiny to wear off and boredom to set in.

And so this is the same thing with church planting and a new church is once you get into the trenches, once you begin to shape those relationships and form the relationships with each other, then the hard part begins.

We begin to get on each other's nerves.

There's high stress involved in sustaining the growth.

There's pressure on the planter, the planter's family.

There's stress, there's internal tension that's often unspoken within the launch team.

There with the core team, where the vision gets real.

Now it's good to have a strong vision, but mission is going to sustain you.

And mission is what controls where you go after that first hundred days.

It's what determines your direction.

And so quietly, you start to believe in this first hundred days that this pace is normal.

But it isn't.

Those early days are fueled by adrenaline, novelty, and hope.

All are gifts from God, none meant to last forever.

I've watched rooms feel fast while relationships stay thin.

But here's the truth that many planters discover too late.

Attendance can rise while depth stays shallow.

Momentum can mask fragility across church planting networks like DCPI and exponential.

There's a clear pattern.

Many plants experience A dip between months four and nine.

Listen to the story of Kevin Myers at 12 Stone, founder of 12 Stone Church.

They, they are not only a, a, a, a large mega church now that started from scratch in a movie theater, but he's got a story there.

And for 10 years they struggled.

That first hundred days had a lot of momentum, but after that next hundred days is when he began to say the dip.

And this is when things really got real for him.

Listen to his story.

He's got a couple of books out there.

But now 12 stone is not just a megachurch, but they're a church planting movement.

They regularly sponsor and form new churches in other parts of the US and across the world.

So listen to his story.

Because what we see a lot of times is, I mean, they've been going for over 20 years now.

And so what we're seeing is the work of 20 plus years of ministry and God working in prayer and intentional leadership and intentional multiplication, intentional mentorship from John Maxwell in Kevin's life and other places and other people.

But listen to the backstory and you'll hear because it's not that churches experience that dip, not because God left, but because the adrenaline did.

The first hundred days don't prove sustainability.

They reveal potential.

And potential, as you know from physics, is only potential until it's realized what the early days really teach us about.

Community.

Kenny Allen often speaks about community formation, and Hearst's insight matters here.

Community does not form through shared vision.

It forms through shared vulnerability.

People don't commit because your mission statement is clear.

They commit because they feel safe.

Planters often confuse clarity with connection.

Early lessons every planter learns whether they name them or not.

People follow honesty before leadership depth grows slower than attendance.

Small, repeatable gatherings outlast big moments.

You can't build sustainable ministry on large events.

They can help gather momentum, but they're not going to sustain momentum.

Leaders set the emotional temperature.

You cannot program belonging.

You have to model it.

If people only know your platform voice, they will never know your pastoral one.

Never trust it.

So building relationships in a new context is often a struggle.

Church planters often rush strategy and skip proximity.

That's backwards.

It has to be proximity combined with strategy.

Effective planters do ordinary things faithfully.

You show up Sunday after Sunday, you do the right thing, even when no one is looking.

That's character.

That's why character.

That's why in DCPI we stress the importance of character.

You can have a church planter that has high capability and low character, and the church plant will fail because often what happens is moral failure.

So show up without an agenda.

Coffee shops, school events, community spaces.

Partner with other nonprofits in the area.

Addiction recovery centers.

You can't do it all as a church plant.

So find other nonprofits that are working in spaces that you need to reach people in the area there and partner with them.

Ask better questions than you answer.

And learn names, learn stories, learn wounds.

If you don't find the pain in your pew, the pew pain will find you.

Learn those wounds.

Create low pressure on ramps, meals, living rooms, open tables.

Make sure that you're equipping your leaders as well.

Leaders that are unequipped are going to fail.

And leaders that and an environment, a culture that doesn't equip its leaders is going to struggle to find leaders simultaneously.

Don't make it an open commitment.

Start with short term commitments.

Allow people to prove themselves even before they're, you know, place them in situations where they're being mentored by others in that same position there.

I like to grow depth in leadership in case someone's out, in case a leader becomes stressed out or burnout, they can remain.

Then you've got someone that's able to step in.

Maybe, maybe that leader just ends up getting moved away.

One of the things that happened to us when I was planting in Auburn, Alabama was the economy crashed around the automotive industry.

And that area had really built its economy or rebuilt its economy away from textiles when they all got shipped over to Mexico and China and places like that because it was cheap labor and there was no tariffs to come back in.

So there was no disincentive to moving the factory overseas.

And so the result was we lost jobs here in textiles.

So the automotive industry, the south kind of re rebranded itself and said, hey, we've got these high wages up north, come here, we've got lower wages.

They're used to working in textiles.

Not everybody was able to be retrained, but those who were were able to transition into automotive industry.

So they rebuilt their economy around the automotive industry as well as some others.

And then when the automotive industry experienced a recession, those companies started laying people off, they started closing.

And as a result, we lost a lot of leadership.

And so what I'm saying there is when you build some depth in your leadership there and you're equipping your leaders intentionally, then when you lose a leader, it's not as painful.

That's not to say it's not painful at all.

We always hate to lose leaders, especially strong leaders.

But the reality is not everybody stays forever and so it's important that you have that depth there that you're equipping to people so that when the inevitability comes, if a recession hits, if the unexpected happens, somebody faces a health crisis, whatever it is, you've got someone to step into that position there.

Something else to remember about, you know, living rooms and open places, open spaces and, and all those things is, is when you go, stay longer than expected.

Too many leaders want to rush out.

They want to come knowing they've got a busy schedule.

I've heard experienced leaders say, always plan something afterwards so that you have another meeting to go to.

What this tells people, what their suggestion is, is that tells people that your time is valuable.

Yeah, your time is valuable.

And because your time is valuable, you want to spend as much time connecting with, with your people as possible.

So stay longer than expected.

Trust forms through repetition, not charisma.

Anybody can read a self help book today.

And you know, any outgoing leader can build something, something on their personality, but charisma isn't sustainable.

You've got to have some depth there.

Here's a concrete truth.

Most people need six to 12 consistent touch points before they trust the leadership.

Six to 12.

Not one, not two, not even three.

One great sermon does not build trust.

In fact, a really, really strong pastor can be intimidating to the congregation.

And that's not to say that we should be incompetent, we should always model competence.

But we've got to build that trust through presence.

And so what happens there is when you build it through presence, people begin to trust.

Even though you're competent, they're, wow, this is such a competent leader.

They have such valuable time, but they're choosing to spend it with me.

And so presence matters.

One of the other things to remember is one of the most overlooked factors in early church planting is emotional safety.

People ask, what is this church about?

What they're really asking is, will I be safe here if I'm honest?

Too often the church wants to condemn sin.

And look, Jesus, we absolutely condemn sin.

I did a devotional in Galatians the other day and this line stood out to me.

I think it was Galatians five, maybe it was four.

Paul's talking to the Galatians and he says, what happened?

Who stopped you?

You were running so well.

You had your eye on the prize and then you stop.

And what happens a lot of times is we start trying to program disciple making.

There's a difference between being intentional about making disciples and legalism.

And sometimes we can place expectations and structures on onto people instead of allowing them room for growth.

That's not to say that everything goes.

That's not to say there's no accountability there.

All those things are important, but they have to happen inside of relationship.

And never in a public way, and never in a condemning way.

Correct.

In private, praise, in public.

So they're asking, will I be safe here?

If I'm honest, if I'm vulnerable, with about my struggles, am I going to be condemned or will I be encouraged?

Early culture answers that question quickly.

If leaders perform, people hide.

If leaders confess, people are open.

Jesus understood this.

John tells us the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

Grace came first.

Nothing we did earned God's presence here.

Truth followed grace.

Belonging created space for belief to grow.

Grace made truth possible.

So three normal surprises after day 100.

These things catch planters off guard.

These aren't failures.

They're normal.

I had a friend of mine, Dr. Desmond Barrett, he's got a great podcast out there.

He specializes more in church revitalization.

I focus on revitalization, but more through planting than I do just revitalization.

He likes to take existing churches.

I think he's pastoring up in Chicago area now, but he likes to take an existing church and kind of turn it around.

That's not my specialty.

I like to plant from scratch or take a small struggling church and kind of restart it in that way there, through planting or replanting there.

But, but so.

So my point is that I don't want you to consider this as failures.

I want you to consider this as normal.

Because when we normalize.

Desmond talks about a.

An Edison environment, a reference to Thomas Edison and his experimentation, and a culture of experimentation.

A culture that focuses on performance is not going to be a culture of experimentation because people will be afraid of fail.

And so what we have to do is not create a culture where failure is encouraged, but we create a culture that says failure gives us an opportunity to improve.

And so that's what this is, vision drift.

Not because people don't listen, but because they filled in gaps with their own stories, with their own expectations.

People are formed long before they get in front of us.

We can contribute to that formation.

But there are many things in society, including artificial intelligence, that are beginning to shape people now.

And just today I finished writing a proposal for our own district, talking about reaching this next generation.

Because if we don't, then they're going to end up being formed by artificial intelligence.

And we don't want a society where a human voice is absent.

We can Utilize artificial intelligence.

And I talk about this in another episode.

Look that episode up.

But we can utilize artificial intelligence as a tool, but we can't allow it to replace human thought.

We cannot allow it to replace humanity.

And used correctly, it is a powerful tool.

Used incorrectly and it.

It will.

It will do dangerous things.

So the point here is that vision drift, I kind of got on the sidetrack there.

But.

But vision drift is normal because people filled in their gaps with their own stories and experiences.

The point there was they've been formed by other things besides us.

And so this is a trust issue more than a clarity issue.

They've got to trust that your way is the right way or that your vision is the right vision, your mission is the correct vision.

And the more you have unity in leadership, you can disagree in private, but in public, it has to be a full agenda.

When you walk out of that meeting, even if there's strong disagreement, when.

When you walk out of that meeting, you have to have a united front, because a disunified front creates distrust.

Second is emotional fatigue.

Adrenaline.

Phased discernment gets harder.

You realize you've been carrying culture alone.

And so in doing so, what you've done is you've had that vision, but you've got to be intentional about sharing that vision, sharing that mission, and making sure that your leadership is taking ownership as well.

If you find that you're carrying the culture along, then your leadership has not taken ownership of the vision and mission of the church.

Third, leadership gaps.

You discover who can carry weight and who cannot.

Titles do not equal capacity.

These moments are not collapse.

They are formation.

They remind us of the leaders that are ready versus those who still need some mentoring, those who still need some time to grow and incubate in the shadows or even behind the scenes with other capable leaders there.

That's not to say that they're worse leaders.

It just means that.

I mean, we don't criticize a kindergartner because they can't do 12th grade math.

We don't criticize a senior because they can't do doctoral thesis work.

Right.

So the.

The point here is to allow people room to grow.

This goes back to the equipping that I was talking about before.

So what would I do differently?

Well, if I could speak to myself after the first hundred days, here's what I wish someone had given me permission to do.

Slow down public decisions, be intentional.

I had a conversation with my pastor the other day, and we're talking about the possibility of them sponsoring the refinery and her honest Answer was that we need to be slow and intentional about this because they've been burned in the past.

So I have to earn their trust.

I have to earn not just trust that I'm capable.

I wouldn't be ordained as a Nazarene pastor if I were not capable, if I did not have to trust the denomination.

But they have to be sure that their vision and my vision align.

Their mission and my mission are aligned.

The last thing you want to do is get into partnership with someone and find out halfway down the road that you were not clear about your mission and vision with each other.

So this is what I mean by slowing down public decisions.

Just because it's a good idea doesn't mean that you have to do it immediately.

Simultaneously.

We gotta make sure that we don't just stay in the huddle.

If we just stay in the huddle and always planning, we never get on the field to play.

And so there's a balance there.

So you want to slow down the public decisions, but that's not.

That does not mean there's an excuse to not make a decision.

Meet with fewer people, but go deeper.

Look, you as a pastor, your responsibility is your core team and your launch team.

Yes, you can spend time with other congregation members.

That's important.

But you cannot dig deep into every person within a congregation.

You can't have that, that John type, John and Jesus relationship, you know, where John was a beloved disciple.

You can't have that with every congregation member.

Nor does every congregation member expect that you're going to naturally connect with different people within a congregation on a deeper level.

And that's okay.

That's why you have other leaders within a congregation there.

You surround yourself with leaders that, that they can take responsibility for others as well.

I kind of like Jesus approach, where 12 and three, you have three that you're really investing in deep, that you're personally mentoring.

You have 12 that are part of your kind of inner circle there.

And then you have the crowd guard Sabbath without apology.

You need a day of rest.

I will leave it there.

Say no earlier and kinder.

Just because you say no is not rejection.

Sometimes this goes back to slowing down public decisions.

And if someone comes to you and asks you and says that they think this is a great idea, sometimes the answer is say, okay, I can't do it.

But if we have a leader like you who can lead it, as long as they're a capable leader, give it to them.

See where it goes.

Here's an opportunity.

If God has laid something on someone's heart, there's a possibility God is calling them to that.

If nothing happens from it, if they don't take the ball and run with it, that's okay too, because it was not, it just must not have been part of it.

Or maybe they were not the leader to run it, but it was not something that was on the radar to begin with.

Anchor identity in Christ, not outcomes.

That's a dangerous thing for a church planter.

If we, if we don't have 25 baptisms the first year, if we don't have 35 professions of faith the first year, if we don't, if we're not launching a brand new work, multiplying the church within three years, somehow or another we think that we are failing as a, as a Christian, that we have failed Christ.

Our anchor is in Christ, period.

And in that faithfulness to Him.

And if he has called us to do something, he will equip us to do so and in his good time.

Even if it's God's will for something to happen within three years, there's the reality that sometimes the enemy is able to thwart God's will.

If God's will was unable to be frustrated by the enemy, the Garden of Eden would have never happened.

The fall of humanity would have never happened.

If the enemy was not able to frustrate the plans of God.

The work belongs to God.

God's will will ultimately be done, even if it's delayed.

Delay is not failure.

The calling is faithfulness.

As I said, growth comes through love, patience and grace.

And so here's a final word for the New year.

As this new year begins, I want to leave you with one question.

Where are you right now?

Are you still running on adrenaline or learning how to abide?

Jesus never rushed formation.

Formation cannot be rushed.

He stayed, he loved.

He told the truth.

And the spirit did the work that the spirit can do.

Stay rooted, stay present, stay faithful.

That's how churches last.

That's how leaders endure.

So if this episode named where you are, share it with a pastor who needs it, Share it with a friend and I'll see you.

Happy New Year.

I'll see you next week or I'll be back next week with another episode.

Got some exciting plans for the new year.

We've got some interviews lined up, some guests coming.

Dr. Lay Bryant, who is written a brand new book on trauma.

He spent many years as a chaplain in the army.

So anyway, so big exciting plans for the new year.

I hope this episode was.

Was good for you though.

Like I said, this was one of the most shared podcast in the podcast space from this previous year.

Let's keep up that good work.

We can bring in new sponsors.

Not so I can make lots of money.

I'm not making money on this podcast.

I promise you I'm not.

This is about ministry, not brand.

I'm here to equip leaders.

I'm not trying to build some type of reputation for myself.

I'm simply trying to be faithful to God.

Just like I'm calling you to be faithful to God.

This is Echoes Through Eternity.

I'm Dr. Jeffrey D. Skinner.

What is God echoing through your life today?

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